Blank cartridge.



L. B. PUROELL.

BLANK CARTRIDGE.

APPLICATION-FILED NOV. 16, 1909.

965,745, t Patented July 26, 1910 Lee 111 mm,

LEE B. PURGELL, OF THE UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS.

BLANK CARTRIDGE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 26, 1910.

Application filed November 16, 1909. Serial No. 528,405.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LEE B. PURCELL, captain U. S. Marine Corps, a citizen of the United States, stationed at Olongapo, 1n the Philippine Islands, have invented certain new and useful Inrrovements in Blank Cart-ridges; and I do iereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdeserl tion of the invention, such as will enab e others skilled in the artto which it appert-ains to make and use the same. I

M invention relates to improvementsm bla cartridges for use in drilling with small arms or machine guns.

With the ordinary cartridges now in use trouble frequently occurs from solid fragments being driven with considerable force against ersons or objects near the firing line, and there is difficulty in providing a suitable dummy projectile to correspond with the shape of the desired cartridge, the result frequently being the jamming of the arts of the piece and other troubles well linowu to those experienced in such matters.

According to my invention I provide an elongated hollow cart-ridge case having the front end split up and cut away, so that the fingers thus formed may be crimped to a point, and the whole may form a cartridge shell of substantially the form and shape of a cartridge case and projectile. This, of course, contains the powder and wad, and when fire-d these fingers spread apart allow ing the shell to be reloaded, recrnnped, and used over again, indefinitely.

My invention will be understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which the same parts are indicated by the same characters throughout the several views.

Figure 1, shows a side elevation of the luv proved blank cartridge, ready for firing. Fig. 3, shows the same after it has been loaded and before the split fingers have been crimped together, parts being shown in section, and, Fig. 3, is an end VIEW of the cartridge, as seen from the right of Fig. 1.

A represents a cartridge case constructed in the usual way, except that the frontend is drawn out longer than is usually the case, and this elon abed end is cut away to form a plurality o ta red lingers a, which when crunped over, orm a point substantially similar in outline to the nose of the projectile, the result being a blank cartridge of practically the same sha e as a cartridge case and projectile. Be ore the points a are crimped, powder B and a wad C are inserted in the usual way. It will be noted that the cart-ridge case with the rim 1, the shoulder 2, the shoulder 3, and the point l, all as shown in Fig. l, is of the exact contour of the service cart-ridge, while the wad C is held in place by the shoulder 2 and thus prevents the escape of powder through the slits in the nose of the cartridge case. It will be evident that it would be difiicult in practice to have these tapered fingers pressed to form a dust tight closure, and the danger of owder dust escaping from blank cartrid es of this character 1s too obvious to be dwelt upon.

hen the gun is fired, the Wad and powder gases will spread apart the tapered fingers (and they may he further spread apart with a suitable spreader, if desired), and thc'emptied shell n'lay be reprimed, re loaded, and the ends recriuiped, as before.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure from the United States by Letters-Patent, is:

As an article of manufacture, a blank cartridge comprising an elongated shell having a shoulder for the wad and a plurality of tapered lingers crimped together to form an ogivul shaped pointed nose, powder contained in the rear end of said shell, and a wad fitting snugly behind said shoulder and preventing the escape of said powder to the front end of said shell, substantially as and for the purposes described.

In testimony whereof, I aifix my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

LEE B. PURCELL.

Witnesses:

GILEB Blsnor, J r., M. E. Snnuum. 

